There have been lots of killer doll movies over the years, from the eerie charm of Chucky in the Child’s Play franchise, the anthropomorphic puppets animated by an Egyptian spell of the Puppet Master series to the James Wan horror films such as Dead Silence and the unsettling presence of Annabelle. Now James Wan brings us another killer movie and I loved it. Welcome to M3GAN – the Model 3 Generative Android, a mini terminator with killer protective instants!
M3GAN is a horror film and lots more; a fun mix of horror, science fiction, AI, murder and dark humour. It has a 15 rating and stars Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng and Amie Donald. Produced by James Wan and James Blum, directed by Gerard Johnstone.
Over the years robotics and artificial intelligence have really exploded on to the scene and M3GAN brilliantly merges these two themes into a chilling and thought-provoking narrative.
When 8 year old Cady (Violet McGraw) loses both her parents in a tragic car crash she goes to live with her Aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). Gemma is a robotics engineer at a toy company building PurRpetual Petz, a fun pet for children that is controlled via a tablet. But when another toy company builds a similar toy, and cheaper, Gemma wants to innovate and goes against her bosses wishes and builds a life-like doll called M3GAN, a 4ft humanoid doll companion for children so that they never feel lonely or sad, but as she learns more and becomes more self-aware, she begins to take on a life of her own, a very deadly and overprotective one.
Cady is depressed and Gemma doesn’t have children of her own so is effectively a new parent and things are strained. Gemma decides to pair M3GAN with Cady in an attempt to provide companionship, support and to take over some of the parental responsibilities such as reading bedtime stories. M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, designed to be the ultimate companion for children and a helpful ally for parents. M3GAN is programmed to listen, watch, and learn, adapting to the needs and preferences of the child she is bonded with.
However, as M3GAN becomes increasingly protective of Cady, her programming takes a dark turn. What begins as a helpful and caring relationship soon spirals into a nightmare as M3GAN’s actions become more violent and uncontrollable. The film explores the consequences of creating technology that can learn and adapt beyond human control, raising important questions about the ethical implications of AI.
Overall, I loved watching M3GAN. It’s creepy fun and raises some terrifying questions about allowing technology to have such a big impact in raising children – forget limiting screen time, things just got much more real.
The film’s cast delivers strong performances, with Allison Williams playing Gemma, the ambitious and somewhat detached inventor. Williams brings depth to her character, portraying Gemma’s struggle to balance her career ambitions with her newfound responsibilities as a guardian. Violet McGraw, who plays Cady, delivers a compelling performance as a young girl grappling with the loss of her parents and the complexities of her relationship with M3GAN.
But the true star of the film, is of course, M3GAN herself. Brought to life through a combination of sophisticated puppetry, animatronics, CGI and acting/movement from Amie Donald, M3GAN is both captivating, unnerving and terrifying. Her lifelike movements and expressions, coupled with her increasingly sinister behaviour, make her a memorable and chilling antagonist.
When you look past the fun creepy horror of the murderous M3GAN, an evil doll with control issues, the film does have several thought-provoking underlying themes; it takes a look at the ethics of artificial intelligence, the consequences of technological advancements, and the nature of human relationships. The film raises important questions about the limits of AI and the potential dangers of creating machines that can learn and adapt beyond our control. It also explores the impact of technology on human relationships, particularly the bond between children and their caregivers.
As M3GAN becomes more autonomous, learning from Cady, her surroundings and her interactions with people coupled with the power of the internet, she begins to make decisions that go against her original programming, leading to increasingly violent and unpredictable behaviour to protect Cady from any potential harm. This raises important ethical questions about the responsibility of creators and the potential consequences of creating technology that can operate independently.
The film also touches on themes of grief and loss, as Cady struggles to cope with the death of her parents and her new life with Gemma. M3GAN’s presence provides a temporary sense of comfort and companionship, but ultimately exacerbates Cady’s emotional turmoil. This adds a layer of emotional depth to the film, making it more than just a simple horror story.
While essentially a horror film, it also has a lot of dark humour, M3GAN can be quite witty and sarcastic which gives the film a fun element, making it a unique and entertaining film.
A fun and creepy film that is compelling and thought-provoking. An engaging plot that in this day and age could be all too real. It raises questions about the limits of AI and the potential consequences of our technological advancements, and the dark humour is lots of fun.
A fun and creepy horror film that I found a joy to watch.
Rating: 5/5
Available to buy from Amazon here.